Alexandre Lacazette surged above Kylian Mbappe in the Ligue 1 goal charts after netting four times in a thrilling 5-4 victory over Montpellier.
The ex-Arsenal striker, who returned to his roots as a free agent in the summer of 2022, has moved on to 24 efforts for the season. That put him one ahead of World Cup winner Mbappe at Paris Saint-Germain – at least for a few hours. Lacazette hit top spot in a thrilling contest on Sunday, with Lyon trailing 4-1 just before the hour mark. A stunning fightback saw Lacazette complete a hat-trick and then some, with his most decisive contribution coming into the 10th minute of stoppage-time.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Lacazette didn’t stay top of the charts on his own for very long, with Mbappe also bringing up his 24th Ligue 1 goal of the season during PSG’s 3-1 win at Troyes later on Sunday.
WHAT NEXT? Lacazette is, however, proving at 31 years of age that he still has plenty of firepower left in his tank, with Lyon hoping to secure a top-six finish and European qualification this season.
Lyon and Montpellier have produced the Ligue 1 season’s most entertaining game so far, Les Gones prevailing in an extraordinary match that finished 5-4. The hosts were 4-1 down after being on the receiving end of a quadruple from in-form Montpellier forward Elye Wahi (20). Lyon replied emphatically thanks to veteran centre-back Dejan Lovren (33) and three goals from OL skipper Alexandre Lacazette (31), who had opened the scoring. The former Arsenal man decided the game with a coolly dispatched 100th minute he himself drew a foul from former Celtic centre-back Christopher Jullien (30).
For Lyon, it was a game for the ages. But those three points may prove vital in the immediate future for the Laurent Blanc-led side, who are now three points behind fifth-placed Lille and level with Rennes. The northern and Breton sides have both lost this weekend. With four new goals to his name, Lacazette rocked up to the top of the league’s goalscoring leaderboard. The former Gunner has struck 24 times, one more than Kylian Mbappé. The PSG man has the opportunity to get his throne back tonight with Les Parisiens facing relegation-threatened Troyes tonight.
Source: getfootballnewsfrance.com, goal.com
